60 years ago on Oct 1, 1949, the People’s Republic of China was born. After many years of civil war between the Chinese Nationalist Party (Kuomintang) and the Communist Party of China, and complicated by Japanese occupation, Mao Tse-Tung raised his fists in triumph at the gates to the Forbidden City. “The central government of the People’s Republic of China is established!” he declared before a crowd of up to 1 million people in Tienanmen Square. “The 475 million people of China have now stood up!”  he added in response to a Napoleonic quote: When China wakes the world will be sorry.

Today, glossing over decades of violence, terror, human rights violations, manipulation, deprivation, deception, propagandizing, continual monitoring, and repetitive use of force, the People’s Republic of China are staging an elaborate spree for a world-wide audience as they mark 60 years of Communist Utopia.  (Highly militaristic in style, can the comrades people really be that giddy?) 

In a bizarre show of support, the Empire State Building will be bathed in red and yellow lights today (colors of the Chinese Imperial Court). Obama is celebrating, too. Just a few days ago, he made sure the flag of the People’s Republic of China was flown next to the Stars and Stripes on official ground near the White House.

On November 6, 1957, at the Meeting of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR in celebration of the 40th Anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution, Mao boasted, “The socialist system will eventually replace the capitalist system; this is an objective law independent of man’s will. However much the reactionaries try to hold back the wheel of history, eventually revolution will take place and will inevitably triumph.”

Raising the Chinese flag next to the American flag in the capitol of the United States may play well in China, but it doesn’t play well with freedom-loving Americans. Mao Tse-Tung is wrong. Socialism isn’t inevitable. We must continue to send Obama the message that courting the Chinese to fund his Marxist goals will not be tolerated. Capitalistic innovation and prosperity, along with the freedoms afforded us by our Constitution have enabled our nation to bulwark against destructive dictators and tyrannical ideologies. Let’s do whatever it takes to wrench ourselves out of the financial noose we’ve invited China to twist around our throats. While extending goodwill to the PEOPLE of China, we who cherish liberty could never celebrate this wretched authoritarian regime.

I don’t think many of our readers doubt that Romney is setting the stage for a second run at the presidency in 2012. For those few that do, perhaps this news will lay those doubts to rest.

From CNN Political Ticker:

Mitt Romney says he wants to return to Iraq and Afghanistan

Eric Fehrnstrom, an adviser for the the former Massachusetts governor and 2008 Republican presidential candidate, tells CNN that “we are working through the appropriate channels to make this happen.”

“I’m going to Afghanistan and Iraq in a couple of months,” Romney declared in an interview published Sunday in the Washington Examiner. “I’ll get an assessment of what’s happening there and what the prospects are. But I certainly would support our troops with the additional troops which are being called for by General McChrystal, and provide the equipment and the manpower and the budgetary support which our troops deserve.”

The article states that Romney once visited Iraq and Afghanistan in May of 2006, as Governor of Massachusetts in a trip that was sponsored by the Department of Defense. I’d also like to point out the Fehrnstrom, mentioned in the article, is Romney’s official spokesperson and a current adviser.

Recently, I wrote the post entitled Romney Burnishes His Defense Credentials noting that Governor Romney has recently taken several opportunities to highly criticize President Obama and his missteps on foreign policy. He did so in interviews, in several media appearances, at the Values Voter Summit, and particularly at his “conversation” at the Foreign Policy Initiative luncheon. This news about Romney’s visit to the war zones is a clear indication that when he runs in 2011 he will be as knowledgeable and experienced as possible on foreign policy to ensure he can lock up the DefCon vote. It seems to be working as he is already receiving great reviews concerning his “grasp” on policy.

I reiterate the fact that there is currently a void amongst potential POTUS candidates as the obvious go-to person for DefCon voters, which void was previously split between McCain and Giuliani. DefCon voters will be looking for a place to go. More and more we will see them gravitating to Romney. This week’s fundraiser that McCain is hosting for Romney might be one of the first steps in that process.

Good luck on your trip, Governor.

(Hat tip to Bill at GOP Toast for the news. You can read his blog here.)

UPDATE: Romney Afghan trip delayed

Ahmadinejad claims that its newly-revealed nuclear facility in Qom is a year away from becoming operational. Really? What IF Iran is much closer to developing a nuclear warhead than we’ve been led to believe? Who knows the truth?

Diplomacy is always the best first approach to pursue when negotiating conflict. When negotiations fail, sanctions come into play. The United States had knowledge of Iran’s secret nuclear facility a year ago. Why weren’t crippling sanctions imposed sooner? The Big 3 (Obama, Brown, Sarkozy) made it very clear last Friday that we are no where near military action. However, the time for effective sanctions against Iran is very nearly past.

Way back in February of this year, Iran’s student news agency, ISNA, revealed that Ahmadinejad said Iran has obtained the technology to produce nuclear fuel and Iran’s move is like a train … which has no brake and no reverse gear.

(English spoken at :26)

Because so many question marks surround the Iranian regime, today’s long-range missile test is very worrisome. We await the results of the P5+1 nuclear negotiations meeting on Oct 1 in Geneva…

A moment of reckoning has come to the world. It centers around one man: The president of the Islamic Republic of Iran – Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Let’s reflect on this despot…

Ahmadinejad vows for years to bring death to the great Satan (that would be us), pontificates on the myth of the holocaust, swears he will blow Israel off the map, is a state supporter of terrorism, supplies Iraqi insurgents with everything from rocket-powered grenades to short-distance missiles, rigs his recent re-election in Iran, treats his detractors to prison, torture, rape, and death (remember Neda?), promises he is pursuing nuclear weapons for domestic purposes (Iran is floating on oil), helps his buddy Hugo Chavez discover uranium in Venezuela (gee, I wonder why?), gets caught hiding a second so-called ‘peaceful’ underground uranium enrichment facility (heavily guarded, by the way), unleashes a diatribe against the West at the United Nations three days ago, tells President Obama, Prime Minister Gordon Brown, and President Nicolas Sarkozy they will be sorry for their attitudes, fires off two short-range test missiles yesterday, and plans to launch a longer-range test missile on Monday, Sept 28th (capable of hitting Israel and U.S. military posts) to remind the world just how supremely magnificent he is.

In his remarks last Friday regarding Iran’s covert nuclear facility, President Obama mentioned- twice – what he has so often reminded us of: Iran has a right to nuclear power… if it will be used peacefully.

IF… so much depends on ‘if’.

At the upcoming P5+1 nuclear negotiation meeting on October 1 in Geneva, diplomats from the U.S., Britain, France, Germany, Russia, and China will meet with Iranian representatives to lay down the law: Iran must allow international inspectors complete access to the secret Qom facility, full access to every nuclear-related site, scientists, and all documents/computers related to nuclear development, and Iran must fully comply with the IAEA.

If… we believe Mahmoud?

“Our nation has successfully gone through a glorious and fully- democratic election, opening a new chapter for our country in the march towards national progress and enhanced international interactions. They entrusted me once more with a large majority this heavy responsibility.” (Excerpt from Ahmadinejad’s address to the United Nations last Thursday.)

Here’s a reminder from his OWN people who the REAL Ahmedinejad is – pleading that he not be allowed to address the U.N.:

A moment of reckoning has come to the world.

What IF Iran agrees to be nuclear compliant then pretends to keep their promises?
What IF Obama continues to promise consequences for non-compliance then pretends to keep his promises?

It all sounds pretty ‘iffy’ to me.

Thirty-Two years ago, director Roman Polanski (then 44) drugged and raped a 13-year-old girl. After pleaing guilty to a lesser charge, he then fled the United States and has avoided justice ever since. Remarkably, this man who committed one of the worst crimes in the book was able to attract talent to continue his career and received a standing ovation at the Academy Awards when he won Best Director for The Pianist (after many in that same audience made a point of refusing to stand while Elia Kazan was honored a few years earlier).

Well, it appears that Polanski has finally shown up in a country (Switzerland to be exact) that was oh-so-kind-enough to place the rapist under arrest for extradition to the U.S.. He went there because he was to be honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Zurich Film Festival. Don’t worry he’ll still be honored despite his absense. Afterall, the authorities are utterly out of control according to our cultural betters:

The Swiss Directors Association sharply criticized authorities for what it deemed “not only a grotesque farce of justice, but also an immense cultural scandal.”

Yes, there is a scandal here. And I’m pretty sure it’s that the Swiss Directors Association believes that artists are above the law and allowed to defile our children. Now lets bring this monster back to the United States where he can finally serve out his pittance of a sentence.

Edit:

Kieran Healy adds:

See, you or I might think that not going back to the U.S. or U.K. is an action Polanski took in order to make sure that, having raped a minor and fled the country, he would not be rearrested. But you or I would be wrong. In fact these are punishments that Polanski has suffered. But tiens, it was a long time ago. Puritanical Americans simply do not have the enlightened attitude toward wine at the dinner table, quaaludes, and child rape that the Europeans do. In Ireland, for instance, there are quite a number of seventy-odd year old men (and even older) who spent their youth ministering to children and raping them — some of their victims have been able to forgive them, and many want never to speak of those events again, so why all the legal fuss? Perhaps that’s a bad example. Ireland isn’t really a European country.

In any event, I look forward to more detailed explanations of who the Real Victim is here, and more fine-grained elaboration of the criteria — other than “marvelous dinner guest” — for being issued a Get Out of Child Rape Free card.

~~~Thomas

Found this at CNN:

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney had sharp words for President Barack Obama’s handling of foreign relations Saturday, saying that the president is “above” the world stage and acting too much as a “neutral arbiter” who uses only words to tell other nations what’s right and what’s wrong.

Referring to the first months of Obama’s presidency, the former Republican presidential candidate said there’s been a “dramatic shift,” with that shift going in the wrong direction.

“America has always been a ardent supporter of democratic efforts and protecting and defending American values and western values,” Romney said, “but this president seems intent to step back to — if you will — lift himself above the world stage and say we’re not a player down there with everybody else between the democracies and the autocracies.”

“Instead we’re going to become the neutral arbiter,” Romney continued. “We’re going to be above everybody. Almost like the United Nations, sort of telling people what’s right and what’s wrong, instead of coming down firmly, solidly, and vehemently in favor of democracy.”

Romney pointed to Obama’s handling of ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya’s return to Brazil last week to illustrate one example of the president’s poor judgment when it comes to world affairs.

“Honduras…tosses out their president who’s trying to violate the constitution,” Romney began. “This was a person who was a pro-[Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, anti-American president. And then they installed instead an acting president [Roberto Micheletti] who will follow a democratic process, [a] pro-U.S. individual. Barrack Obama comes out for the pro-Chavez president and says put him back in charge.”

Romney was speaking at the biennial Mackinac Republican Leadership Conference on Mackinac Island, Michigan. Romney has been widely suspected to be laying groundwork for another run at the White House.

A few of his comments were aimed at the specific economic woes of Michigan — a state Romney’s father governed.

Romney, and his wife Ann, heaped love on the state, saying he was “heartbroken” to see so many people out of a job but that it “doesn’t have to be that way.” He said one of the first things needed is a “Giuliani-style” cleanup of Detroit

One of the bigger applause lines of the night came when Romney said the state should do a few things to help attract more business folks, including lowering business taxes.

“Another thing to do would be to say we’re going to make this a state which is a right to work state,” he said to thunderous applause. “Of course the most convincing thing you could do would be to throw the democrats out of [the capital city of] Lansing.”.

According to a Tweet from EricFehrn:

Romney, at Mackinac today, is fundraising for Mike Nofs, running in key state senate special election in upper mid-Michigan.

The Mackinac Republican Leadership Conference just finished on Mackinac Island in Michigan. About 2,100 people registered for the event which was mostly introducing the most important Republicans in the state to their potential 2010 gubernatorial nominees. There was a debate between five of the six republican hopefuls, and the conference also saw speeches from Charlie Crist, Tim Pawlenty, Mitt Romney, and Eric Cantor. If ever there was a blue state on the verge of turning red, Michigan is it if Mitt is the nominee in 2012.

Michigan can hardly wait to see this again:

Update – Romney’s Speech on Mackinac Island

2012 is going to be

I’ve generally found The Hill‘s coverage of Mitt to be snarky.  This one is no exception as it uses the phrase “makes nice” in the headline and calls Mitt’s positive comments about Giuliani at last week’s Mackinac Republican Leadership Conference “gratuitous.”  The writer, is trying to push the meme that Mitt is some sort of glad handing snake oil salesman-type who will say anything to get ahead.

I don’t deny that in politics, all things are political, but at its essence, glad handing is about insincere and hypocritical praise and it hardly seems insincere or hypocritical to highlight Rudy’s obvious success at turning NYC around in the context of discussing the city of Detroit’s huge problems.

As Mitt’s efforts for 2012 gear up, we should expect more of this from the press, so get ready.  In any case, as your one stop shop for all things Romney, click here to read the article.

Found this at Free and Strong America PAC blog:

The video is uncut and is the entire “conversation”, nearly an hour long. I’ll come back to it sometime while I’m not at work.

Be sure to read Jennifer Rubin’s recap of the event (click here). Her intro:

Former governor and presidential candidate Mitt Romney was the lunch speaker at the Foreign Policy Initiative conference. In a conversational interview with FPI board member Dan Senor, he appeared more relaxed and fluent than he had on the campaign trail. Without a fixed script (or any notes), he was able to demonstrate some impressive grasp of details while setting forth his big-picture critique of the Obama foreign policy. He gave credit to the president for his willingness to stick to a winning strategy in Iraq and for not “yanking all the troops out,” as he had promised during the campaign. But that is where his praise ended.

From the Fix:

McCain To Headline Romney Fundraiser: In a sign that the 2008 campaign is water under the bridge, Arizona Sen. John McCain will host a fundraiser for former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney’s Free and Strong America PAC next Wednesday at Chase Bank Field in Phoenix. McCain — along with Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) — will co-host the event, which includes a VIP reception ($3,000 donation per person) and luncheon ($300 per person). Romney and McCain clashed repeatedly during the 2008 campaign and the Arizona Senator made little secret to mask his distaste for his most serious rival for the nomination. But, McCain’s willingness to sign on for a fundraiser to collect cash for Romney’s leadership PAC suggests the rivalry of 2008 is gone if not totally forgotten. That’s a good thing for Romney as he prepares for his increasingly likely run for president in 2012.

It is interesting to me that McCain is willing to do this for Romney, and so early after the recent election. They did, after all, have a very rough primary. I can only attribute it to the fact that Romney was very gracious in his concession to McCain and immediately, and with full-throttle, campaigned for him up all the way up to election day.

Here is a reminder of the post-primary Romney from an excellent article entitled The Long-Distance Runner by the Boston Globe:

“He lost a tough race,” says New Hampshire state Senator Jeb Bradley, a Republican and former US congressman. “After that, Mitt could have done anything he wanted with his life: back to the nonprofit world or start a new business. But what has he been doing? He’s kept at it. He’s been busting his butt since losing more than anyone I have ever seen.”

…

Romney returned to his office the following week in a T-shirt and jeans, ready to travel to his California home. From there, Romney’s staff informed McCain’s, he would be willing to travel to Arizona for a formal endorsement ceremony. But McCain’s camp volunteered their candidate, campaigning that day in Rhode Island, for an immediate photo op in Boston. Romney wavered about doing it so quickly — he held a ticket for a middle seat on a JetBlue flight later that day and hesitated about paying the cancellation fee — but was flattered that McCain would show deference and come to him. Hours later, after postponing his flight and changing into a suit, Romney met with McCain privately for 15 minutes and asked what he could do. McCain made a standard request: He entreated Romney to campaign for him and other Republican candidates. Then the two walked out in front of an American flag and made it official.

…

“That we just put down to him being smart,” says Mark Salter, a McCain adviser who was among Romney’s most vehement detractors during the primaries. “He got out and then graciously said, ‘Put me to work.’ And I don’t think he turned down anything we asked him to do.”

I’m reminded that Romney “did events for 33 federal candidates running for office and 37 surrogate events for Senator McCain and Governor Palin”.

They put him to work indeed.

A ground-breaking story occurred in America last March. Literally! With rake in hand, Michelle Obama was hailed for scratching sod and overturning soil to create a White House vegetable garden. She even got her knees dirty. The news was so big that Mrs. Obama says the first thing foreign leaders ask her is how the garden is doing.

In the month prior to digging earth on the White House lawn, the First Lady praised Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack’s People’s Garden Project. She also spoke to employees of the U.S. Department of Agriculture on the importance of supporting farmers and protecting the nation’s food supply.

A week ago today (9-17-09), Mrs. Obama stood on D.C. terra firma and spoke at the grand opening of a new farmers’ market near the White House. “I have never seen so many people so excited about fruits and vegetables,” exulted the First Lady as she filled her basket with fingerling potatoes and black kale. “I’m a big believer in community gardens, both because of their beauty and for their access to providing fresh fruits and vegetables to so many communities across this nation and the world.”

So, where’s the dirt?

On the very day Michelle Obama was sniffing produce and being feted at the new D.C. farmers’ market, thousands of out-of-work farmers and farm workers, brandishing protest signs, were assembling in dusty, withering San Joaquin Valley, CA – the turning-to-dust bread basket of America.

The area that once produced a $20 billion crop industry, and more, in farm sales than any other individual state in the country – is now a dust bowl. The cause? Government-made drought. In 1993, the tiny, two-inch Delta Smelt fish was declared an endangered species. Smelt fish pass through irrigation waters pumped through the San Joaquin Valley. Claiming that pumps harm the Smelt, radical environmental groups and liberals have battled for years to turn the San Joaquin valley into a desert. Well, they’ve won. Water now bypasses one of the most important agricultural areas on earth and flows directly into the Pacific Ocean.

Thousands of acres lie fallow and crops that were planted now rot in the fields. Unemployment in the area is at 40%. Food prices will rise with estimates of up to 38 million people being affected. Farmers who once fed the world now stand in food lines. This is what happens when extreme environmentalists prevail over reason.

An appalling history of political negligence shrouds this dilemma. Seven attempts to get the pumps turned back on have been killed seven times by the Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi. Letters, petitions, and pleas to Washington continue to be ignored. Aware of the situation, President Obama remains unmoved. Just yesterday, Diane Feinstein (D-CA) and Barbara Boxer (D-CA) voted no on an amendment introduced by Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) designed to help the San Joaquin Valley. Compromise and common sense are nowhere to be found.

This isn’t a local problem; it’s rapidly becoming a national problem. Here are just a few of the crops California’s central valley supplies to our nation: 94% of America’s tomatoes, 93% broccoli, 89% carrots, 86% garlic, 78% lettuce, 90% strawberries, 88% grapes, 99% almonds.

Given the enthusiasm with which Michelle Obama loves to have our White House chefs feed fresh produce to her family, perhaps, if the San Joaquin Valley were called the San Joaquin Community Garden, the President would turn the water back on.

And that’s the real dirt.

The Valley Hope Forgot – Part 1: Comedian, activist Paul Rodriguez, Radio Talk Show Host Inga Barks, and Sean Hannity decry Obama’s refusal to help California’s central valley.

The Valley Hope Forgot – Part 2: Congressmen Jim Costa (D-CA), George Radanovich (R-CA), Devin Nunes (R-CA) “This can happen to you. They’re on their way… to the rest of America.”

The Valley Hope Forgot - Part 3: FOX News reporter Ainsely Earhardt explains how loss of crop production in CA’s central valley will affect you. Former mayor Fresno, CA Alan Autry: “Turning this water off is not just bad politics, it’s an act of domestic terror.”

Michelle Malkin: Cali’s man-caused drought (scroll down to see video of Feinstein’s excuses)